a Land Imagined, Singaporean Feature Film on a Missing Immigrant Worker

A land Imagined, feature film directed by Singaporean film director Siew Hua Yeo started off with two police officers in search of a missing China mainland immgirant worker in Singapore. Taking set on reclaimed island, filled with mega construction machine this film takes off from the worker's point of view, not linearly in-depth as it splits with the policeman's mindscape and the surrealism the two shared through dream. Wang, the China construction worker got his hand injured and handicapped, shifted his role into lorry driver fetching Bangla workers from one point to other. The two characters (Wang and the officer) are in search of someone, and both of them share similar underlying sleeping problem, awaken to the nightlife of this ever connecting busy nation.

As most scenes took place in the construction site, which made frequent sight to audience but never closely observed, it felt familiar and distant at the same time. The director was said to have spent one to two years of research being around the site, hanging out with the workers. In Singapore's ever-ascending development the buzzing immigrant is often seen as a group of people impermeable to the fact each departed from a rich background, a dilemma between home and future. Unknown to many the agency's high cost service to the land imagined was found worth owing money as a promising investment for a start. Settling here, workers' passport is held to ensure obedience and performance, in consequence of the on-hold return to the family. A line perfectly described during the post screening talk, when he said that during research process he met a worker having resided for over ten, fifteen years yet never really felt as a part of the mainstream society.

Amidst the surreal state, a dancing scene commonly practiced in worker's homeland showed their trans movement to the singing and drum, captured seemingly on to it they are, to the lyrics representing the missing state of connection. Instead of bar, night club or red district to bring out the night life, the use of 24 hour gaming room fits well to Wang's sleepless state and encounter with the staff, that brought him to more escapism.

To my personal preference, the dreamlike part adds tiny disruption to the flow. Though it's smooth transition doesn't detach, it holds our bond to the character and topic from intensifying. Emotionally it puts you in the broad floating state. It does successfully maintain consistent ambient that interstates reality and dream throughout, which is a challenge. The dialogue and acting are realistic on the most parts. However, some parts seem incomplete, floated in the air that a few more lines or scenes could've added balance to. Not that all things should be explained or have a polished resolving, plot holes can tribute the audience's role to part in. Having too many of them, however, as one moved to the other, creates distance. In this reality inferred topic that implies loaded reflective narrative, the bare truth in itself is rich. The sufficient research this project has attained can do justice to it and bridge the audience more connected to the story and the topic. If only we were allowed to enter their life more, with more view to reality outlook the film has provided in the beginning. The surrealism is a good approach for this controversial inflicted topic, but it took a little too much proportion in ratio to the mysterious plot rooted from major social phenomenon to unveil. The director said along with this film, a documentary is on the making which might be the reason he is more keen with this direction for the film.


All in all, it deserves to be along the internationally acclaimed film. It's worth applauding for any local film to look into local's politically and socially charged topic in humanity lens. The fiction reinforces the extent of reality implied in the story. This topic like it or not roots Singapore's identity and needs to be shown to the public in multiple approach time and again.

Talk Reflection : Pathompon Mont Tesprateep in dialogue with Silke Schmickl - Celluloid Dreamstate, Composing Memories through Decay

On the dialogue programme by Newwave between Pathompon Mont Tesprateep with Silke Schmickl, the talk went tad bit personal to get a better sense of the film, which can be foreign for narrative filmgoers. His interdisciplinary practice of art and film, in this case, is relevant on the attempt to push the fine line as a basis to their norms as story and medium. A short summary is included to slightly give a picture to the dialogue discussed.

The format started with 13 minutes screening of his two trimmed short film due to the time limit, continued with a discussion.

Titled Endless Nameless and Song X respectively, both are black and white film recorded using celluloid film which intervenes its aesthetic with apparent texture. No dialogue was involved throughout as it primarily relies on gestural action. The tension is hinted by the sense of danger amplified through natural acting as if shown on hidden record documentary. Emphasis on the sound also played a part.

In summary, to make sense of it would be in itself an interpretational attempt due to its surreal narrative. Gesturical wise, it consisted scenes where soldiers did common activities that went gradually strange, which turned out to be based on artist’s memory on an actual private soldier's garden run by his family. One of the scene includes a snake purposely unleashed by two soldiers to attack another soldier.

I did not notice intermission. Supposedly it started with a man discovered a corpse on the bushes and dragged him over the river for cleansing. Most of the scenes took place in the river, with various activities of climbing down the tree, a group of people bathing in the river festively, rowing a bamboo raft, pedaled them with a contented face (sorry if it is really vague). The men being topless aside from taking place on river had to do with artist's fascination with the way skin looks on the screen.

Presumably hinted political implied narrative, the follow-up discussion clarified with his personal motive behind the use of soldier. It was meant to be a personal attempt to reconcile with his unease and guilt having witnessed his parents performed authority toward the soldiers. It is manifested from the accumulated observation over years being around. Knowing that I assume the non-linear scene jumbledly comes from what he saw, unintentionally heard, that it forms peculiar subconscious state transmuted into a visual disturbance. As he mentioned it himself, he was also moved by curiosity as to why soldiers do the things they do, to be even drawn into taking the role in the first place.

On the Song X film, he revealed the sentimental loss stage he had, the idea pokes me that his real-life tragedy could’ve suggested the way tragedy is portrayed in the film. Even though we are left clueless as to what extent the significance each gesture portray the actual event, or in what way it is so. But for sure he underlined the word self-hypnosis a couple of time, to sum up what he has achieved throughout the process of the film.

The fact that the personal motive disclosed makes a big shift to the way his work's perceived reminds me of how an intrigue toward visual artwork is significantly affected by findings on research. These films are somehow acceptable in both spectrum of contemporary art context as well as the independent film which fine line has increasingly blurred. He himself said that in the midst of both work of visual art and film, he felt like an outsider for both worlds. It is not entirely bad for he doesn't find any necessity to be put into one box.

There's a time when as things sink in you are overwhelmed by how much the speaker just took the word out of your mouth, what has always been wanted but in need of reassurance. He is a master of fine arts graduate and has respect for feature film, both conventional and experimental. When asked about crossing the disciplinary, to him different context and expression requires experiment on various medium and approach to bring it forth better. Knowing his practice is important in this phase where clearer direction is needed. Being in the same space with someone with a longer stretched experience in an unconventional hybrid domain helps to open up the possibility of the long way ahead.

He mentioned as though film has always been intriguing, it is intimidating at the same time with the big workloads of team that come with it. Film is a big responsibility, the endless name listed in the credit role for a few minutes short films shrink guts, especially if you have been passive. The discussion land me to the thought that the element of film that makes it approved as one, is as attainable as having one camera as an extended vision of the artist/creator. The rest of technicality and logistic followed up depends on the extent of negotiated output standard with available resources (man and space). It is about making and worrying less as to what level a work is seen valid to be on a particular category it is under.

Shall the works lean toward film context more than art, I have learned to notice that I appreciate how originality and rawness have helped in translating genuine vision of the creator. It can connect audience to different level through its peculiar articulation regardless of the genre. Art, from what I understood favors rawness and authenticity and big part of it is highly attainable with medium of film, and it is up to the artist/maker in deciding how much of certain authentic element of story is implied and the form it should take shape.

The talk went a little slow, but it was still thoughtful. Although articulation and flow of discussion might require the audience to actively gather up the points, as long as it came from a speaker who initially think to bring something forth through the works to begin with, there is important notable points to take home. 

Written by Ahdini Izzatika

On Newwave dialogue program.


Picture source :
http://emergeredelpossibile.blogspot.sg/2015/02/endless-nameless.html
http://cargocollective.com/ptesprateep/Song-X

Harry Potter : a Late Fan Here................

I have been watching Harry Potter since I was so small and could only be impressed by the look of magically moving newspaper pictures, flying broomstick, a giant troll, and all that. It was elementary school what do you expect. Also, guilty as charged I was, I bought the cheap copy one that was all over the market basically and it came in package with bad subtitle and some glitches, if you are not that lucky. I could not speak english at that time so malay/bahasa turned to be the only choice. Well, above all of that, basically I was not there yet to understand all the emotional and plot twist of this movie. So there I stopped on HP : Half Blood Prince and never continued.

til three or four days ago I asked my room mate to watch Harry Potter since she had only watched the sixth one right away and of course, did not understand shit. So we watched from the very first series, which was basically just the introduction into the wizard world, so it would appeal the kiddie me back then but a little bit boring for us now. However, I like all the magic atmosphere and the throwback vibe seeing all the cast back young again.

The next Harry Potter got our nerves intense due to its beginning of the dark story. He-Who-Can't-Be-Named is getting more parts. As we got to the next movie, it is unexpectedly getting better and better. We ended up finishing everything within three days. Every day when we finished one, we cursed the night for being so short and this weak sleepy eyes for having to sleep. The Prisoner of Azkaban used to be my number one favorite back then (after watching it third time or so) but now I really can't choose which one got me the most, except Deathly Hallows because it has to be great indeed.

The thing about having all powerful series is that it serves the function as life memory of the character for many years and the interlink of them by recalling one and another got it even more mind blowing. I got goosebumps every now and then.

I really liked the vibe of the dark magic and these whole series feed it well...not just visually, but the plot and character and basically the whole dark atmosphere built.

After we finished the whole movie, it got us crazy it was too overwhelming. My room mate, like usual, smiled and giggled on her own like a blockhead. I also could not help to not yell and roll over here and there. So if you have never watched it, or have but not impressed, I recommend to watch it all over again but in a row shortly after one finished. (movie marathon) It is just great how powerful a story is and how your whole brain was like being tilted by it.. if that makes sense. I don't know the word. Now I wonder how it felt like being a Harry Potter die hard fan back then when you have to wait for years for the next one to come. I really salute you all, I can't even wait for the next night to come and watch. Also I wonder how the book is like, because usually the book is always better than the movie. And I just could not imagine what is better than this.

Shortly after we finish everything, my room mate wants to watch the bloopers and behind the scene, which I tried to restrict. At least for me. As much as I love seeing the behind the scene, I hate that it is just movie and there is making process behind. I want to keep the story remained as a real life in my mind. :"D At least not now.

I can't thankful enough of the power of one's mind to be able to create such story. J.K. Rowling... how the h*ll did you do that..